New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Ingwhit’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea  Impatiens  plant characterized by its large white colored flowers, early flowering, good heat tolerance, nice rounded shaped growth habit with excellent basal branching and good vigor.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Impatiens hawkeri.

Varietal denomination: ‘Ingwhit’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct New Guinea Impatiens plant botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri and referred to by the cultivar name ‘Ingwhit’.

The new cultivar was developed in a controlled breeding program conducted by the inventor in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The new New Guinea Impatiens cultivar is very floriferous with large flowers, early flowering on a strong growing, basal branching plant with good heat tolerance.

The new cultivar is propagated from cuttings resulting from the cross in September 1998 of the proprietary New Guinea Impatiens selection identified as ‘E120-1’ as female parent and the proprietary New Guinea Impatiens selection identified as ‘E 28-2’ as male parent. ‘E120-1’ is not commercially available and has not been patented. ‘E 28-2’ is not commercially available and has not been patented.

As a result of this cross the present cultivar was selected in September 1999 in Enkhuizen, Netherlands and has been repeatedly asexually reproduced by cuttings in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, in Gilroy, Calif., and in Angers, France over a period of several years. The distinctive characteristics of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction. It takes 12 to 14 weeks to produce a finished plant, depending on temperature.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Ingwhit.’ These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Ingwhit’ as a new and distinct New Guinea Impatiens cultivar:

-   -   1. Large, white flowers     -   2. Early flowering and floriferous habit     -   3. Rounded shaped habit     -   4. Strong growing and good heat tolerance

Plants of the new New Guinea Impatiens differ primarily from the plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

Plants of the New Guinea Impatiens have a good branching habit, whereas the plants of the female parent have a less branching habit.

Plants of the new New Guinea Impatiens differ primarily from the plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

Plants of the New Guinea Impatiens have medium sized, green leaves, whereas the plants of the male have small sized light green leaves.

Of the many commercially available New Guinea Impatiens cultivars known to the inventor, ‘Ingwhit’ is most similar to ‘Moorea’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,147). However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, plants of the new cultivar differed from plants of ‘Moorea’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new cultivar are more early flowering than         plants of ‘Moorea’     -   2. Plants of the new cultivar have a more branching habit and         are more floriferous than plants of ‘Moorea’     -   3. Plants of the new cultivar have green leaves, whereas         ‘Moorea’ has deep green leaves.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

This new New Guinea Impatiens plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographic drawing which shows blooms, buds and foliage of the plant in full color, the color showing being as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of this new New Guinea Impatiens. The data which defines these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The plant history was taken on 30 week old plants, blossomed under natural light in the field.

Color readings were taken in the laboratory under ambient light. Color references are primarily to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London.

-   The plant:     -   -   Classification.—Botantical: Impatiens hawkeri. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary Impatiens hawkeri selection             identified as code number ‘E120-1,’ not patented.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary Impatiens hawkeri selection             identified as Code number ‘E 28-1,’ not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 7-14 days.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Approximately 21 days.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, and white in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Outwardly spreading, low rounded and             uniform mounded plant growth. -   Habit:     -   -   Growth and branching habit.—Freely branching habit, freely             flowering, moderate vigorous to vigorous. -   Crop time:     -   -   Plant height.—21-23 cm.         -   Plant spread.—39-46 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—15-20 cm.         -   Diameter.—4-6 mm.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Internode length.—0.4-6 cm.         -   Color.—RHS 146C. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Primarily in whorls.         -   Length, mature leaves.—6.2 cm.         -   Width, mature leaves.—2.2 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute to acuminate.         -   Base.—Acute.         -   Margin.—Serrulate with fine cilation.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color young foliage, upper surface.—RHS 144A.         -   Color young foliage, lower surface.—RHS 144A.         -   Fully expanded foliage, upper surface.—RHS 147A.         -   Fully expanded foliage, lower surface.—RHS 147B.         -   Venation, upper surface.—RHS 145B.         -   Venation, lower surface.—RHS 147A.         -   Petiole length.—About 0.4 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—About 2.5 mm.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—RHS 145C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single.         -   Number of flowers per leaf axil.—1 or 2.         -   Number of flowers and flower buds per lateral branch.—6.         -   Flower position.—Above and beyond the foliage and typically             facing upwards and outward.         -   Flower shape.—Rounded, mostly flat.         -   Flowers lasting.—About 10 days on the plant depending on             environmental conditions.         -   Petals.—Self cleaning.         -   Gynoecium.—Persistent.         -   Flowers.—Not fragrant.         -   Flowering.—Indeterminate and continuous.         -   Flowering season.—Year round under greenhouse conditions. In             the garden, flowering from spring until fall.         -   Flower length.—About 5.3-5.5 cm.         -   Flower width.—About 5.6-6 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 0.2 cm. -   Flower buds:     -   -   Bud length.—About 1.7 cm.         -   Bud diameter.—About 1 cm.         -   Bud shape.—Ovoid.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color, just before opening.—RHS 157B. -   Petals:     -   -   Quantity.—Single, five per flower, imbricate.         -   Length of banner petal.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Width of banner petal.—About 3.5-3.8 cm.         -   Length lateral and basal petals.—About 3.1 cm.         -   Width lateral and basal petals.—About 3.1 cm.         -   Lateral and basal petal shape.—Obcordate.         -   Banner petal shape.—Roughly obcordate.         -   Petal apex.—Retuse to emarginate.         -   Petal base.—Attenuate.         -   Petal margin.—Entire.         -   Petal texture.—Smooth, satiny.         -   Petal color.—Upper surface: When opening and fully opened:             RHS N155D. Little Middle eye: RHS 155A. Lower surface: When             opening and fully opened: RHS N155D. -   Spur:     -   -   Length.—About 3.5 cm.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Aspect.—Curved.         -   Color.—RHS N144B. -   Peduncles:     -   -   Length.—About 2.7-3.4 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong, flexible.         -   Diameter.—0.15 cm.         -   Aspect.—About 45° from the stem.         -   Color.—RHS 145A. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Androecium.—Stamen number: Five fused at anthers, filaments             free, hooded.         -   Anther shape.—Obovate.         -   Anther length.—About 4 mm.         -   Anther color.—RHS 155C.         -   Amount of pollen.—Scarce to moderate. -   Gynoecium:     -   -   Pistil number.—One.         -   Pistil length.—About 4 mm.         -   Stigma shape.—Columnar, five segmented.         -   Stigma color.—Colorless.         -   Style color.—RHS 144C.         -   Ovary arrangement.—Five celled.         -   Ovary color.—RHS 144A.         -   Seed development.—Seed development has not been observed. -   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests     common to Impatiens has not been observed. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Ingwhit’, as substantially illustrated and described herein. 